Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SAFETY CONTROL ROOM
BACKGROUND
Field of the Disclosure
[0001] Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a safety control
room. More
specifically, embodiments disclosed herein relate to safety control systems
and
methods for monitoring, reporting, and controlling personnel, components,
access,
and compliance, among others at facilities (e.g., refineries) and/or
worksites.
Related Art
[00021 In chemical, petrochemical, refining, and other industries,
personnel may be
exposed to harsh or extreme working conditions. Further, in such industries,
in
order to comply with local, state, and/or national regulations, industry
operations
must abide by particular compliance requirements when perfoiming a standard
operation (e.g., refinery shut down) or executing a non-standard task (e.g.,
emergency tasks). In order to ensure that personnel are adequately trained,
healthy,
and are operating safely when exposed to particular working conditions,
personnel,
components, access, and compliance at facilities, refineries, and/or
production sites
may be monitored, reported, and/or controlled.
SUMMARY
[00031 In general, in one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a
safety control
system for a worksite including a video system having a video camera
communicable with a video monitoring device and a video recording device, a
personnel system having a personnel sensor communicable with a personnel
monitoring device and a personnel recording device, a component system having
a
component sensor communicable with a component monitoring device and a
component recording device, and a reporting system configured to access at
least
one of the video recording device, the personnel recording device, and the
component recording device, in which the reporting system generates a report
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including information from at least one of the video recording device, the
personnel
recording device, and the component recording device.
[0004] In general, in another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a
personnel
monitoring system including a personnel sensor configured to sense attributes
of a
worker at a worksite, in which the personnel sensor is communicable with a
personnel monitoring device and a personnel recording device, and in which the
attributes of the worker comprise at least one of heart-rate, temperature,
breathing
air, surrounding gases, training, and fatigue.
100051 In general, in yet another aspect, the present disclosure relates
a compliance
monitoring system including a compliance sensor communicable with a compliance
monitoring device and a compliance recording device, in which the compliance
monitoring system is configured to compare data from the compliance sensor
with
compliance requirements, and in which the compliance requirements are worksite
specific.
[0006] Other aspects and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent
from the
following description and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
100071 Figures 1A-1C depict a safety control system in accordance with
one or more
embodiments of the present disclosure.
100081 Figure 2 depicts a confined workspace in accordance with one or
more
embodiments of the present disclosure.
[00091 Figure 3 depicts a restricted area in accordance with one or more
embodiments
of the present disclosure.
[00101 Figures 4A-411 depict a breathing air system in accordance with
one or more
embodiments of the present disclosure.
[00111 Figures 5A-5D depict personnel monitoring in accordance with one
or more
embodiments of the present disclosure.
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1100121 Figures 6A-6C depict a central station in accordance with one or
more
embodiments of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] Specific embodiments of the present disclosure will now be
described in detail
with reference to the accompanying Figures. Like elements in the various
figures
may be denoted by like reference numerals for consistency. Further, in the
following detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure,
numerous
specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough
understanding of
the invention. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the
art that the
embodiments disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details.
In
other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to
avoid
unnecessarily complicating the description.
[0014] Furthermore, those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate
that when
describing a first element to a second element disposed thereon, it is
understood that
disposing may be either directly disposing the first element on the second
element,
or indirectly disposing the first element on the second element. For example,
a first
element may be directly disposed on a second element, such as by having the
first
element and the second element in direct contact with each other, or a first
element
may be indirectly disposed on a second element, such as by having a third
element,
and/or additional elements, disposed between the first and second elements.
[0015] As shown in FIGs. IA-1C, a safety control system in accordance with
one or
more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In one or more
embodiments, one or more of the elements shown in FIGs. IA-1C may be omitted,
repeated, and/or substituted. Accordingly, the present disclosure should not
be
considered limited to the specific arrangements of elements shown in FIGs. 1A-
1C.
[0016] In one or more embodiments, a safety control system may monitor,
record,
control, and/or report operations, working conditions (environmental
conditions
such as weather, area conditions, etc.), component status (active, inactive,
damaged,
inoperable, etc.), compliance regulations (emergency procedures, number of
personnel per area, safety validation of one or more components, etc.), and
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personnel (employees, workers, contractors, etc.) status (vitals such as heart
rate,
training experience, authorized access, etc.), among many others, at a
worksite 101.
[0017] The worksite 101 may be a building, such as factory having
multiple floors or
levels with different operations being performed by personnel throughout the
building. The worksite 101 may be a remote worksite, such as an oilfield, with
personnel working outside that may experience or be exposed to different
environmental conditions throughout the duration of a project and where a
number
of different tasks are perfouned in different areas of the oilfield. Further,
the
worksite 101 may be a facility that includes both indoor and outdoor working
conditions, such as a refinery or petrochemical plant, with personnel that may
be
exposed to harsh working conditions, such as confined spaces or toxic fumes.
As
such, although the worksite 101 has been described with respect to the
examples
above, the present disclosure is not so limited. The worksite 101 may include
or
refer to any environment where work is being performed which may or may not be
performed by active personnel. For example, the worksite 101 may include
several
components performing automated tasks where personnel may not be necessary.
[0018] In one or more embodiments, as shown in FIGs. 1A-1C, the worksite
101 may
include a confined workspace 103, a restricted area 105, a breathing air
system 107,
and an open workspace 109. As shown, the safety control system may include a
central station 110 for monitoring, recording, controlling, and/or reporting
working
conditions, component status, compliance regulations, and personnel status,
among
many others, at the worksite 101. The central station may be permanently
located at
the worksite 101 or the central station 110 may be mobile. For example, as
shown
in FIG. 1C, the central station 110 may be disposed on a vehicle 115, and may
be
movable to one or more worksites. Accordingly, the central station 110 may be
configured and setup for monitoring, recording, controlling, and/or reporting
working conditions, component status, compliance regulations, and personnel
status,
at any worksite known in the art and may be transported between worksites or
moved to different locations within a worksite 101.
[0019] The worksite 101 may include a number of floors or levels
accessible using
stairs 110. Although not shown, the number of floors or levels may be
accessible
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using any means known in the art, such as an elevator, ladder, or lift, for
example.
The worksite 101 may also include a personnel station 108 where one or more
personnel may check out equipment, obtain permits or access badges, view
maintenance logs, etc.
[00201 As shown in FIGs. 1A-1C, the worksite 101 may include an audio
visual (AV)
system having one or more video cameras 113 equipped with audio devices (e.g.,
microphones and/or speakers). The one or more video cameras 113 may
communicate with an AV monitoring device and an AV recording device. The AV
monitoring and recording devices may be located at the central station 110 or
may
be located remotely, on-site, or connected directly or near to the one or more
video
cameras 113. The AV system may monitor and/or record operations in any or all
areas of the worksite 101 including, for example, confined workspace 103,
restricted
area 105, breathing air system 107, and open workspace 109. In addition, the
AV
system may monitor and/or record operations about the perimeter of the
worksite
101 or about a perimeter of any area of the worksite 101 to detect
unauthorized users
and/or prevent unauthorized personnel from entering the worksite or a specific
area
of the worksite 101.
[00211 In one or more embodiments, the AV system may feed live video and
audio to
the AV monitoring device and the AV recording device. As discussed herein,
live
feed video and audio refers to distribution of video and audio data in real
time or at a
slight delay in real time. As such, real time video monitoring may allow for
immediate feedback to unsafe working conditions. For example, the AV system
may also be capable of visual and audio alerts given certain conditions by
blinking
lights or sounding a siren in an emergency situation, such as a fire, flood,
or natural
disaster. In addition, the AV system may also be used to monitor personnel
conditions and workspace environments. For example, if one or more personnel
are
in danger (e.g., if the personnel are exposed to toxic gases), emergency
services may
be dispatched and the AV system may indicate (e.g., using lights and/or
sirens, for
example) the location of the personnel in danger. Thus, emergency services
personnel would more easily be able to find, rescue, and tend to the one or
more
personnel that may be in danger.
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100221 Further, the AV recording device may be used to store video and
audio data
for future reference. In doing so, the video and audio data may be used for on-
the-
job training, lesson learning, or off site classroom lectures.
[0023] As many tasks may benefit from constant and live monitoring, the AV
system
may be linked or connected to (wired or wirelessly) the central station 110.
As such,
the number of personnel that are needed to monitor a particular task or
worksite may
be reduced. In addition, personnel, worksites, and/or operations may be
monitored
and/or controlled at a single location on-site and/or remotely from the
central station
110. For example, one or more video cameras 113 may be controlled by one or
more users at the central station 110.
[0024] Referring now to FIG. 2, a confined workspace in accordance with
one or
more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In one or more
embodiments, one or more of the elements shown in FIG. 2 may be omitted,
repeated, and/or substituted. Accordingly, the present disclosure should not
be
considered limited to the specific arrangements of elements shown in FIG. 2.
[0025] In one or more embodiments, a worksite, such as worksite 101 in
FIGs. 1A-
1C, may include confined workspaces. Confined workspaces may include any
space that is not normally accessible or not usually intended as workspaces in
which
one or more workers operate. Confined spaces may include boilers, tanks,
tubing
systems, ship holds, sealed off spaces, among many others known in the art.
Because the space in a confined workspace is often limited or the workspace is
difficult to access, operating within such a confined space is a potentially
dangerous
task. As such, a number of measures are taken to ensure that workers operating
in
confined spaces are healthy, performing their work safely, and not in danger.
[0026] As mentioned above, in some cases, workers may operate in
environments
with under such harsh conditions that the worker (and workspace) is sealed off
from
the rest of the worksite. For example, when the level of harmful gases are
above a
particular threshold, the area or workspace may be sealed off in order to
prevent the
harmful gases from being exposed to other personnel at the worksite. In FIG.
2,
workers 200A-200C are shown working in confined workspaces 201A-201C,
respectively. As it may not always be possible to directly oversee the safety
of the
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workers 200A-200C by a safety officer, for example, when the confined
workspaces
201A-201C are sealed, monitoring devices 203A-203C may be setup to monitor
operations within the confined workspaces 201A-201C. Monitoring devices 203A-
203C may be positioned at any location (fixed or movable) within or looking
into
the confined spaces 201A-201C. For example, monitoring device 203A is
positioned at a top portion of confined space 201A viewing operations from
above,
while monitoring device 203B is positioned at a top portion of confined space
201B,
but viewing operations at an angle.
[0027]
Further, monitoring devices 203A-203C may be movable within confined
spaces 201A-201C. For example, monitoring device 203C is disposed along a
track
205 which allows monitoring device 203C to move along a length of confined
space
201C. Monitoring device 203C may be configured to track movement of worker
200C or may be configured to view a particular area within confined space 201C
and thus, may move with respect to worker 200C such that the monitoring device
203C maintains view of the particular area. In addition, monitoring devices
203A-
203C may be capable of panning, tilting, zooming, focusing, as well as any
other
camera functionality known in the art.
[0028] In
one or more embodiments, monitoring devices 203A-203C may include a
video camera equipped with audio devices (e.g., microphone and a speaker) that
may feed live video and/or audio to one or more monitoring and/or recording
devices, such as those described above with respect to the AV system in FIGs.
1A-
1C. The video and audio data may be transmitted wirelessly or wired to a
central
station, such a central station 110, as described above in FIGs. 1A-1C.
[0029] In
addition, monitoring devices 203A-203C may also include a number of
detectors to monitor the levels of one or more gases in each of confined
spaces
201A-20C. Alternatively, gas detectors may be separate from monitoring devices
203A-203C as may be required by compliance regulations. For example, gas
detectors may be positioned at particular areas of interest within confined
spaces
201A-201C in order to detect certain gases based on density, temperature,
and/or
location within the confined space, among others. Further, monitoring devices
203A-203C may include other sensors or measuring devices (not shown) capable
of
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monitoring the status of the workers 200A-200C and other workspace conditions,
such as the temperature, breathing air (quality and volume), and any other
workspace condition.
[0030] Further, in one or more embodiments, monitoring devices 203A-203C
may be
capable of multi-way communication. For example, monitoring devices 203A-203C
may be equipped with microphones, speakers, and/or display devices for
communicating with one or more personnel outside of confined spaces 201A-201C.
For example, monitoring devices 203A-203C may be equipped with one or more
displays for video conferencing with personnel outside of the confined spaces
201A-
201C. Video conferencing may be useful when reaching a point during a
particular
task in which a worker may encounter an unexpected issue. For example, when
welding within a confined space, a worker may accidentally damage one or more
components that were to be welded. Thus, using the monitoring devices 201A-
201C, a worker may communicate with personnel to discuss how to proceed or
whether the task currently being performed should be abandoned. Although not
shown, additional or alternative monitoring devices may be disposed on one or
more
workers 200A-200C. For example, a worker may be equipped with a video camera
and a microphone capable of feeding live video and audio to personnel outside
of
the confined workspace. The equipment may be positioned such that the
operation
may be viewable from a direct perspective.
10031] Further, any of monitoring devices 203A-203C may be used as
redundant
monitoring. For example, monitoring devices 203A-203C may transmit data to
more than one location outside confined workspaces 201A-201C. Thus, a number
of personnel at different locations may monitor operations in the confined
workspaces 201A-201C.
[0032] Referring now to FIG. 3, a restricted area in accordance with one
or more
embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In one or more embodiments,
one
or more of the elements shown in FIG. 3 may be omitted, repeated, and/or
substituted. Accordingly, the present disclosure should not be considered
limited to
the specific arrangements of elements shown in FIG. 3.
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[0033] In one or more embodiments, access to an area of a worksite, such
as worksite
101 in FIGs. 1A-1C may be limited. For example, one or more areas of a
worksite
may have restricted access due to operations being performed in the area.
Other
areas may have access restrictions based on training or confidentiality. For
example,
an area may be accessible only by employees having an up to date training
record, a
given confidential status, or particular training completed. In addition,
certain areas
of a worksite may be designated as danger zones where operations or conditions
in
such a danger zone is off limits to all personnel or only accessible by
emergency
services.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 3, a restricted area 301 includes a lift 303. The
lift 303 may
be operable by one or more personnel having adequate training, such as lift
operators. As such, restricted area 301 may only be accessible by lift
operators.
One or more employees may gain access to restricted area 301 using access
control
unit 305. Access control unit 305 may be communicable with a central station,
such
as central station 110, as described above. In addition, the access control
unit 305
may be programmable or controllable from a remote location or on-site. The
access
control unit 305 may be capable of defining a perimeter about the lift 303,
such that
only lift operators may access the area defined by the access control unit.
Alternatively, the restricted area 305 may be predefined by personnel and may
be
modified based on operations performed within the restricted area 301.
10035] The access control unit 305 may include information relating to
training
records of personnel, confidentiality status of personnel, as well as any
other
information relating to accessibility known in the art. In addition, the
access control
unit 305 may include a reader to be used by personnel attempting to gain
access to
restricted area 301. A personnel badge may be obtained by a worker, for
example,
by personnel station 108 in FIGs. 1A-1C, and may be scanned by the reader of
the
access control unit 305. The reader may scan the personnel badge using Radio-
frequency identification (RFID), Bluetooth, magnetic strip, integrated circuit
card, or
any other scanning/reading technique known in the art.
[0036] Although not shown, in one or more embodiments, restricted area
301 may
include any number of detectors, sensors, or AV system devices, as discussed
above,
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and may be communicable with a central station. As such, the restricted area
301
may be monitored, such as when a critical or important operation is being
performed
(by lift 303 for example), by one or more personnel to prevent and/or manage
safety
of the operations performed in the restricted area 301. Similarly, the access
control
unit 305 may be controllable by one or more personnel. Alternatively, or in
addition, the access control unit 305 may access information used for
restricting
access to restricted area 301.
[0037] In one or more embodiments, the restricted area 301 may be
designated as a
danger zone. As mentioned briefly above, a danger zone may be designated when
a
limited number of personnel, such as only emergency personnel, are allowed
access
to the restricted area 301. Accordingly, in one or more embodiments, the
restricted
area 301, when designated as a danger zone, may be capable of alerting
personnel of
the danger zone designation. For example, if toxins were spilled or a high
risk
operation is being performed in the restricted area 301, when personnel
approach the
restricted area 301, an alarm (visual or audio) may be triggered to alert the
approaching personnel.
[0038] The approaching personnel may be recognized using cellular, Global
Positioning System (GPS), or Wi-Fi, among others by detecting a personnel
sensor
(describe in detail below) carried by the approaching worker. In some
scenarios, the
designation of a danger zone may include an area bound by GPS coordinates and
thus, when personnel approach or cross into the restricted area 301, an alarm
(visual
or audio) on the personnel sensor carried by the approaching worker may also
be
triggered. In other embodiments, if the restricted area 301 is designated a
danger
zone, the access control unit 305 may account for the designation by not
allowing
personnel that would have otherwise gained access to the restricted area 301
had the
danger zone not be designated. Further, in one or more embodiments, an alarm
for a
danger zone designated area may also be triggered by motion detection,
infrared, or
any other detection technique known in the art.
[00391 Further, in one or more embodiments, restricted area 301 may limit
personnel
access based on electronic permitting. For example, one or more permits may be
required by local, state, and/or federal regulations when performing a
particular task
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at a worksite. In some cases, the number of personnel accessing the restricted
area
301 at a given time may be limited, the amount of time personnel are working
in the
restricted area 301 may be limited, and the restricted area 301 may be
entirely off
limits to all personnel until a valid operating permit is obtained. Similar to
the
above, the access control unit 305 may access electronic permitting
information
stored on-site or remotely on a server accessible by a network, cellular
communications, radio communications, Wi-Fl, or any other methods known in the
art.
[0040] Referring now to FIGs. 4A-4H, a breathing system in accordance with
one or
more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In one or more
embodiments, one or more of the elements shown in FIGs. 4A-411 may be omitted,
repeated, and/or substituted. Accordingly, the present disclosure should not
be
considered limited to the specific arrangements of elements shown in FIGs. 4A-
4H.
[0041] In one or more embodiments, airborne pollutants or contaminants may
affect
the ambient air in a given area of a worksite, such as worksite 101 in FIGs.
1A-1C.
Such contaminants may be harmful if inhaled or may be generally dangerous to
any
personnel exposed to the contaminants. Accordingly, in such circumstances, the
worksite may include an area having a breathing air system capable of
producing
and distributing breathable air to workers that would otherwise be exposed to
breathing in the aforementioned pollutants and/or contaminants. In FIGs. 4A-
44D, a
breathing system 401 includes an air compressor 403 for receiving ambient air.
The
air compressor 403 is capable of the intake of surrounding air and
distributing the
intake air to wet tank 405. Although not shown, the air compressor 403 may
include
an air intake sensor configured to measure the intake air. The air intake
sensor may
measure percentages of different gases in the intake air, volume and type of
particles
contained with the intake air, and quality of the intake air.
[0042] As shown, wet tank 405 is communicable with purifier 407. The
purifier 407
is capable of purifying the intake air by removing contaminants, moisture, oil
vapor,
among others, in order to generate breathing air for personnel. The purifier
407 may
include a number of filters, such as a coalescing filter, charcoal filters,
and a
particulate filter, as shown in FIG. 4C. Purifier 407 is communicable with dry
tank
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409 which distributes the purified breathing air to a collection pot 411.
Although
only one collection pot 411 is shown, dry tank 409 may distribute breathing
air to a
plurality of collection pots. Dry tank 409 may include a high-pressure
connection
417 for connecting to a reserve air supply, such as a high-pressure tube
trailer (not
shown).
[0043] The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires a
particular quality of breathing air for use in working environments. For
example,
Grade D breathing air has been adopted by OSHA as the standard for breathing
air at
a worksite. Grade D breathing air requires a number of filtration
specifications,
pressures, and levels of specific gases and moisture content. Accordingly, in
order to
comply with OSHA standards, after purification, breathing air may be monitored
using gas monitor 415, as shown in FIGs. 4C and 4E.
[0044] As shown in detail in FIG. 4E, gas monitor 415 is configured to
measure the
breathing air prior to being distributed to the collection pot 411. Gas
monitor 415
includes an oxygen sensor 421 for measuring the oxygen content of the purified
breathing air. Gas monitor 415 also includes a carbon dioxide sensor 423 and a
carbon monoxide sensor 425 for measuring carbon dioxide content and the carbon
monoxide content, respectively, of the purified breathing air. In addition,
gas
monitor 415 includes volatile organic compound sensor 427 and a visual
flowmeter
429 for measuring flow rate. Further, gas monitor 415 also includes a
condensed oil
monitor 431 for monitoring condensed oil content.
[0045] Referring back to FIGs. 4A-4D, collection pot 411 further
distributes the
breathing air to manifolds 413A and 413B. Manifolds 413A and 413B are shown in
further detail in FIG. 4F. As shown in FIG. 4F, a manifold 413A includes an
intake
hose 441 from collection pot 411, as shown in FIGs. 4A-4D. Manifold 413A also
includes a battery 443, a control sensor 445, outlets 447, and hose sensors
449. The
battery 443 powers a number of sensors of the manifold 413A, such as control
sensor 445 and hose sensors 449. In addition, the battery 443 may be
chargeable
using solar panel 451. Alternatively, solar panel 451 may directly power one
or
more sensors of the manifold 413A thus enabling the manifold 413A to be placed
at
a location far from a power source.
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100461 The control sensor 445 is configured to measure and detect incoming
flow
rates and pressures in hose 441 from collection pot 411. The control sensor
445 also
detects battery discharging rate and power level remaining before manifold
413A
requires recharging. Control sensor 445 also may activate or deactivate power
to or
from each of the sensors 449, battery 443, and solar panel 451. As such,
control
sensor 445 may be controllable or monitored at a remote location, such as
central
station 110, as described above. Control sensor 445 may also include GPS
information and may communicate with a central station via Wi-Fi, radio
communication, intemet, or any other communication method known in the art.
[0047] In one or more embodiments, a user may connect a hose 453 to an
outlet 447
of the manifold 413A such that breathing air is distributed from the
collection pot
411 through manifold 413A to an end user (not shown) using hose 453. The hose
453 may include a hose sensor 455 detectable by the outlet sensor 449. The
outlet
sensor 449 may detect hose sensor 455 via RFID, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, near-field
communication, or any other method known in the art and may communicate
information (wired or wirelessly) to the control sensor 445 and/or one or more
monitoring devices at a central station. The hose sensor 455 may include
information using an integrated circuit chip, flash storage, magnetic strip
information, or any other data storage device known in the art communicable
with
the outlet sensor 449 and/or the control sensor 445. The hose sensor 455 may
include information with respect to hose 453 and/or the end user using the
hose 453.
Information such as maintenance requirements including dates, times, and
authorized users that last checked hose pressure, cleaned the hose, and used
the
hose, for example. Other information may include the flow rate through the
hose
453 at a given time.
[00481 The hose sensor 455 may also indicate to outlet sensor 449 that a
user is
connected to a particular outlet and may be activated using a contact switch
(not
shown). In one or more embodiments, the hose 453 may be attached using a
locking
mechanism (not shown). For example, the hose 453 may engage with an
electromagnetic lock that is unlockable using a badge or swipe card.
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[0049] Referring to FIG. 4G, in one or more embodiments, the breathing
air system
401 may be monitored and controlled using an interface communicable with any
of
the sensors described above. For example, as shown in FIG. 4G, an interface
461
may include a number of displays and may receive input via an input device. In
other embodiments, the interface 461 may be touch screen. As shown, the
interface
461 is configured to monitor and control a number of aspects of the breathing
air
system 401. Specifically, the interface 461 may monitor and/or control the air
flow,
temperature, and pressure at any point along the production of breathing air
using
sensors in direct or indirect communication with the breathing air system 401.
In
addition, the interface may monitor the output or input air and may include
monitoring such as carbon dioxide and oxygen content in the produce breathing
air,
as described above.
100501 The interface 461 may also monitor and/or control sensors of the
manifold.
For example, the interface 461 may monitor the number of users on a given
manifold and the pressure distributed to each manifold from one or more
collection
pots. The interface 461 may also activate or deactivate one or more components
of
the breathing air system 401. For example, if the quality of air is not up to
standards, the compressor 403 may be halted and production of breathing air
may
cease until the problem is resolved.
100511 Referring to FIG. 4H, in one or more embodiments, the breathing
air system
401 may include an alarm to be triggered in an emergency situation. The alarm
may
include one or more visual alarms, such as light 471, and may include one or
more
audio alarms (not shown). The alarm may be triggered remotely from a central
station or may be triggered in response to a production issue. For example, if
the
quality of breathing air falls below the Grade D standard, an alarm may be
triggered
to infoim the personnel operating the breathing system of the issue.
10052] Although a number of examples of monitoring and control have been
described above, those having ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that
any
number of components, systems, and parameters of the breathing air system may
be
monitored and controlled using any interface known in the art and may be
monitored
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and/or controllable from any location using cellular, radio, or any other
communication methods known in the art.
[0053] Referring now to FIGs. 5A-5D, an open workspace in accordance with
one or
more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In one or more
embodiments, one or more of the elements shown in FIGs. 5A-5D may be omitted,
repeated, and/or substituted. Accordingly, the present disclosure should not
be
considered limited to the specific arrangements of elements shown in FIGs. 5A-
5D.
[0054] In one or more embodiments, a worksite, such as worksite 101 in
FIGs. 1A-
1C, may include a number of open workspaces open to the elements. As such,
open
workspaces may present a number of working hazards and/or environmental
working conditions that may be dangerous for personnel. In FIG. 5A, a top down
view of an open workspace 501 is shown. The workspace 501 includes a number of
workers 503 operating and being exposed to environmental and facility specific
risks. To monitor safety, monitoring devices 505 may be used and may include
AV
devices, such as those described above. The AV devices may be used to monitor
and/or alert workers while operating and may be communicable with a central
station, such as central station 110. In addition, the workspace 501 includes
a
personnel station 507. The personnel station may be used by the workers 503 to
check out equipment, obtain permits, and access training materials, among
others.
[0055] To monitor their safety, workers 503 may be equipped with a
personnel
sensor. Referring now to FIG. 5B, a personnel sensor 511 is shown. The
personnel
sensor 511 includes a display 513 for viewing information. The personnel
sensor
511 also includes a number of sensors, such as temperature sensor 515 and gas
detector 517, and may also include storage, such as memory 519. The personnel
sensor 511 may also include a control sensor 521 and an alarm 523. Although a
number of sensors and indicators are described above, any number and type of
sensors may be included in the personnel sensor without departing from the
scope of
the present disclosure.
[0056] In one or more embodiments, sensor information from at least one
of the
temperature sensor 515 and gas detector 517, for example, may be displayed on
display 513. Display 513 may also include information relating to current GPS
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coordinates, emergency statuses in the facility, danger zone designations. The
personnel sensor 511 may include additional monitoring devices such as a
microphone, speaker, and a camera, for example.
[0057] In addition, the personnel sensor 511 may be connected (wired or
wirelessly)
to a number of other sensors used to measure vitals of a worker. For example,
the
personnel sensor 511 may be connected to a device for monitoring biometrics of
the
worker, such as the heart-rate or temperature of the worker. This information
may
be displayed using display 513. Further, the personnel sensor 511 may be
communicable with and controllable by a central station, such as central
station 110.
As such, the central station may be capable of triggering the alarm 523 under
certain
circumstances. For example, if the vitals of a worker fall outside a
particular range,
and the worker passes out, the alarm may be triggered remotely and emergency
services may be dispatched knowing the workers location via GPS. The alarm may
blink or sound further aiding the emergency service personnel to the location
of the
worker.
[0058] Referring now to FIG. 5C, another embodiment of a personnel sensor
is
shown. In this example, personnel sensor 531 may include a badge 533 having
identification information 535 printed thereon. The identification information
535
may include worker identification, training completion, confidentiality
status, known
diseases or allergies, and any other information known in the art. Personnel
sensor
531 may also include a RFID chip 537 and an integrated circuit chip 539. The
RFID
chip 537 may be configured to be accessible using a particular radio frequency
and
may include any identification information or additional infounation.
Similarly the
integrated circuit chip 539 may also include identification information
scannable or
detectable by one or more reader devices. The badge 533 may also be designed
to
measure clock-in and clock-out hours over time. As such, the number of hours
worked by a worked may be stored on the RFID chip 537 and/or the integrated
circuit chip 539 and may be used to manage fatigue of a worker. For example,
if a
worker works more than a specific number of hours over a given period of time
(e.g., 2 days), the worker may be more likely to be tired and perform
inadequately or
unsafely. Therefore, personnel devices, such as personnel sensors 511 and 531
may
be used to prevent hazards caused by fatigued or overworked workers.
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[0059] Further, a worker may be equipped with both personnel sensors 511
and 531
that may communicate with each other. For example, badge 533 may include an
element detection device, such as a device configured to measure exposure to
radiation, and may communicate the detection to personnel device 511 which may
be displayed on display 513. Therefore, unnecessary or overexposure to harmful
gases or radiation may be known by the worker as soon as the worker has
exceeded
the recommended levels of exposure and before health issues may arise.
[0060] In addition, each of the personnel sensors 511 and 531 may be
communicable
with a central station and may store and/or transmit data to recording
devices. Thus,
a data log of personnel work history, exposure, and health can be monitored,
stored,
and analyzed to enhance safety at worksites.
100611 As discussed above, personnel sensors may include GPS and/or other
location
information. In addition, personnel sensors may include or have access to
health
information, training information, and any other information known in the art.
As
such, the location and status of personnel at a worksite may be monitored
during
operation on site or from a central station.
100621 Referring now to FIG. 5D, a worksite 551 is shown having a
confined
workspace 553, a restricted area 555, a breathing air system 557, and an open
workspace 559 and is monitored from a central location. As shown, workers are
indicated by circles and. are distributed and operating in different location
through
the worksite 551. For example, worker 561A is operating within confined
workspace 553, worker 561B is operating in open workspace 559, and worker 561C
is operating in restricted area 555. Thus, using personnel sensors in
communication
with monitoring and/or recording devices at a central location, the position
and
status of each work may be shown and/or displayed on a monitoring device.
[0063] In one or more embodiments, the status of each worker may be
indicated
and/or monitored. In this example, the status of each worker is indicated by
the
shade of the circle representing each worker. No shade (i.e., white circle)
indicates
that the worker is healthy and all training is adequate for the work that is
being
performed. As shown, worker 561A operating in confined space 553 and is
healthy
with no immediate risk indicated.
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[0064] Gray shade indicates a non-immediate risk. For example, the worker
may be
exposed to higher than normal operating conditions but the conditions are
still
suitable for working. In other instances, a worker may have all of the
necessary
training, but the training is due to expire later this month. As shown, worker
561C
is shaded gray. Thus, worker 561C may be exposed to higher temperatures than
desired for ideal working conditions, but not high enough to warrant immediate
action. In general, gray shaded workers are suitable for working, but may soon
be of
concern.
[0065] Black shade indicates that the worker is at risk and the risk is of
immediate
concern. For example, an employee may be in an unauthorized area of the
worksite
or that training certificates for the work being performed have expired. As
shown,
worker 561B is shaded black and thus, may not be adequately trained to perform
the
task or work in the open workspace 559. Although only grayscale shading has
been
described above, any color and any number of colors may be used to indicate
status
of personnel at a worksite. For example, training expirations may be shaded a
certain color, while high-temperature or abnormal heart-rate may be shaded a
different color. Those having skill in the art would appreciate that any
number of
status indicators may be realized without departing from the scope of the
present
disclosure.
[0066] As shown in FIGs. 6A-6C, a central station in accordance with one
or more
embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In one or more embodiments,
one
or more of the elements shown in FIGs. 6A-6C may be omitted, repeated, and/or
substituted. Accordingly, the present disclosure should not be considered
limited to
the specific arrangements of elements shown in FIGs. 6A-6C.
[0067] As described above, a number of components, systems, and personnel
may be
in communication with a central station. As shown in FIG. 6A, a central
station 601
includes an antenna 603, monitoring devices 605, a compliance monitor 607, a
recording device 609, and a control device 611. The antenna 603 is configured
to
transmit and receive signals to and/or from a worksite, such as worksite 101
in FIGs.
1A-1C. As described above, the antenna 603 may receive signals from worksite
monitoring devices, access control units, personnel sensors, air systems, and
any
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other device or sensor known in the art. In addition, the antenna 603 may
transmit
signals to any of the aforementioned devices, systems, and sensors, as well as
any
other device or sensor known in the art. Although the antenna 603 is used for
wireless communications, the central station 601 may be connected to any
number
of sensors or devices using cables, lines, wires, or by any other technique
known in
the art.
10068] In one or more embodiments, monitoring devices at a worksite may
transmit
data directly to one or more monitoring devices 605. The monitoring devices
605
may include any one of a screen (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a
plasma
display, touchscreen, cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor, projector, 2D display,
3D
display, or other display device), a printer, external storage, or any other
output
device. The monitoring devices 605 may display measurements from any number of
sensors or signals sent from devices at worksite. The monitoring devices 605
may
display live video from a confined workspace, or any other workspace described
herein, for example.
[0069] As shown in FIG. 6B, a monitoring device 605 is includes a
graphical user
interface (GUI) 606 having measurements and data viewable and controllable
using
the GUI 606. The GUI 606 may include one or more buttons (e.g., radio
buttons),
data fields (e.g., input fields), banners, menus (e.g., user input menus),
boxes (e.g.,
input or output text boxes), tables (e.g., data summary tables), sections
(e.g.,
informational sections or sections capable of minimizing/maximizing), screens
(e.g.,
welcome screen or home screen), and/or user selection menus (e.g., drop down
menus). In addition, the GUI 606 may include one or more separate interfaces
and
may be usable in a web browser or as a standalone application. Using the GUI
606,
a user may monitor data from any one of the sensors, devices, and system
described
herein and may control a number of different parameters for each of the
sensors,
devices, and systems displayed on the GUI 606.
[0070] In addition, the central station may include a compliance monitor
607. The
compliance monitor 607 may be configured to obtain or receive signals from
sensors, devices, or other equipment related to compliance regulations. Many
countries require specific rules and regulations to be complied with when
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performing particular operations or in certain environments. As such, the
compliance monitor 607 may monitor worksite compliances and compare the
worksite compliances with local, state, and federal regulations.
Worksite
compliances may include breathing air quality, operability and condition of
electrical equipment, emergency service stations, such as eyewash stations
and/or
showers, elevator, ladder, and bicycle maintenance, fire safety standards, and
calibration requirements and status of components and tools used at the
worksite,
among many others. For example, compliance monitor 607 may be connected to a
network or a server containing local, state, and federal regulations related
to
emergency services, such as eyewash stations. If the eyewash station is in use
or has
been used within a predetermined time, the compliance monitor 607 may then
indicate that the eyewash station is not in compliance.
[0071] In
one or more embodiments, the central station 601 may include one or more
recording devices 609. The recording devices 609 may include one or more
storage
devices (e.g., a hard disk, an optical drive such as a compact disk (CD) drive
or
digital versatile disk (DVD) drive, a flash memory stick, etc.) and/or memory
(e.g.,
random access memory (RAM), cache memory, flash memory, etc.). The recording
devices 609 (and/or any information stored therein) may be a data store such
as a
database, a file system, one or more data structures (e.g., arrays, link
lists, tables,
hierarchical data structures, etc.) configured in a memory, an extensible
markup
language (XML) file, any other suitable medium for storing data, or any
suitable
combination thereof. The recording devices 609 may be a device internal to the
central station 601. Alternatively, the recording devices 609 may be an
external
storage device operatively connected to the central station 601.
[0072] The
recording devices 609 may be configured to store and/or log data from
any one of the sensors, devices, or system discussed herein, or any other
known in
the art. The recording devices 609 may be accessible by the monitoring devices
605
and/or the compliance monitor 607.
[0073]
Further, the central station 601 may include a control device 611. Referring
now to FIG. 6C, the control device 611 may include one or more input device(s)
613, such as a touchscreen, keyboard, mouse, microphone, touchpad, electronic
pen,
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or any other type of input device. The control device 611 may also include a
computing device 615 having one or more computer processor(s) 617, memory 619
and a GUI 621 for communicating with one or more input devices 613. The
computer processor(s) 617 may be an integrated circuit for processing
instructions.
For example, the computing processor(s) may be one or more cores, or micro-
cores
of a processor. The computing device 615 may be communicatively coupled to a
network 623 (e.g., a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) such
as
the Internet, mobile network, or any other type of network) through wires,
cables,
fibers, optical connectors, a wireless connection, or a network interface
connection
(not shown).
[0074] The input device(s) may be locally or remotely (e.g., via the
network 623)
connected to the computer processor(s) 617, memory 619, and GUI 621. Many
different types of systems exist, and the aforementioned input and monitoring
device(s) may take other fauns.
[0075] Further, one or more elements of the control device 611 may be
located at a
remote location and connected to the other elements over a network 623.
Further,
embodiments of the disclosure may be implemented on a distributed system
having a
plurality of nodes, where each portion of the disclosure may be located on a
different
node within the distributed system. In one embodiment of the disclosure, the
node
corresponds to a distinct computing device. Alternatively, the node may
correspond
to a computer processor with associated physical memory. The node may
alternatively correspond to a computer processor or micro-core of a computer
processor with shared memory and/or resources.
f00761 In one or more embodiments, the control station may generate
reports based
on data received and/or transmitted at a worksite. In particular, control
device 611
may communicate with one or more reporting devices 625. The reporting device
may be configured to access recording devices 609 and monitoring devices 605
to
collect data and generate reports. Reports can include the number of dangerous
areas in a facility or at a worksite. Using the reports, the reporting device
625 may
also calculate an estimated time for repair or cleanup of an emergency
situation
based on previous occurrences, for example. The reporting device 625 may also
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generate evacuation plans based on the number of people working and their
locations. Further, reporting device 625 may also determine number of hours
worked for a given number of employees and which may then be used to determine
what behaviors lead to injury, or may be used for lesson learning and to
prevent
future injury.
[0077] A safety control system in accordance with one or more embodiments
may
efficiently, accurately, and quickly monitor a number of safety hazards,
working
conditions, health status of personnel, emergency procedures, and many others.
Using monitored data, systems, devices, and/or components may be controlled at
a
worksite to mitigate and/or prevent hazardous working environments, and
ultimately, injury and/or death of personnel. Further, reports may be
generated to be
analyzed and/or used to further prevent injury during given operations and at
particular worksites.
[0078] While the present disclosure has been described with respect to a
limited
number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this
disclosure,
will appreciate that other embodiments may be devised which do not depart from
the
scope of the disclosure as described herein. Accordingly, the scope of the
disclosure
should be limited only by the attached claims.
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